Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28
CITY AND DISTRICT.
what the C0mmissiOners say In An,
SWer 10 CriticiSmA.
TIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

TIE PUBLIC SCHOOLSs
what the CemmissiOneTs say In An
sWer TO CriticismA.
sH1 SELECTION AND COST or SCHOOL srTrsLm
srArNINfs MADE BIZ A crTIzHNS COMMITTEE
4u G1GH soHooL.
AeraR reporter asked one OF the District Com
misNoners to-day, in relation TO the statement
made at meeting of Citizens Association, No. 4
last Friday night, that in.mak1ng their estimates
Tor tho schools Tor the next year the Commission
ers Disseminated against the Second Division.
sTnat statement IS utterly and entirely incorrect
and misleading said the Commissioner. ''for
what have we board Of trustees created by an
act OF Congresss 1t Is part OF their duty to ad-
wise Us when It becomes necessary to make any
alterations or additions TO the schools Now In
refutation Of the charge made by the Citizens As
sociation, Let me tell you little Of the history OF
the affair. At meeting OF the trustees on April
IA. 1885. Mr.. Clark represented that there were
5000 available for the purchase OF sites and con-
struction Of buildings, and asked that we be re-
commended to cause certain buildings 10 be erected
and others TO be remodeled. and that sites be ptr
chased IN the third and fourth divisions Not a
word was said about the second division, and, 50
been made except that made to the last Congress,
10 which Mr.. Larner referred In his report II IS
a part OF the advisory powers Of the trustees 70
from year 10 year, and we can hardly be charged
with discrimination against division when two
sets or boards OF trustees have failed to advise US
that II needed any attention.
SELECTING SITES.
"AS soon as we had obtained the appropriation"
the Commissioner continued, I'VE realized that 1t
was highly important to commence the work of
erecting the school buildings as as posi-
bic, In order to be ready by the opening Of the
10 give the matter their immediate attention and
10 advise US where topurchaSe the necessary sites.
NJ n hat fha oft,,n% nR~ Tho
Nermont-ave2ue site Is bad and the price too
high. In this connection he fntimateS that we
far M han oc s M let
say this: AT meeting OF the trustees held March
OF this year, the Committee on buildings, re-
location OF the school buildings and report to
the board at special meeting to be held for that
purpose. On March Is their report was handed in
at special meeting OF the board, and they ad-
vised that the sites IN the second division should
be between nth and 10th and and Boundary
nue. and d and LIST and Sd streets. You can readily
see that the NermOnt-avenue site is within the
ediy were In a position TO Know best the u needs
of that division. We used all precautions
In making the purchase, even going so far as to
reporters. as you well know, in order that there
might be no raising OF the price Of lot when it
was known that we had our eyes on it. But on
the very morning after IL was decided to purchase
sites the newspapers advised the public in spite Of
all efforts on our part to keep the matter quiet,
locality named.
how THE APPROPRIATION WAS SECURED.
'The committee on schools Of the Citizens Asso-
citation say they secured the appropriation OF
$4,000 unaided and alone, and that the Commits
sioners failed to DO their part Well this Is sur
Hr1sing news, and It is the 1rst time have heard
reverse, rather. i never heard that this commit
tee appeared before Senator Plumb, and that he
made the remarks which they attribute to him.
80 far the other site Is concerned found 1t
impossible TO buy site anywhere near Judiciary
square suitable 1a 70 our purpose for
"But they admitted that site in that locality
might cost more than $40, 900 dollars interrupted
the building sorrespondingly cheapened.S
"You dom imagine" said the Commissioner
'that We would spend all the money for a site,
do you? Not by any means. We did the best we
could TO get site In that locality for reasonable
sum. but we failed and had TO go elsewhere /
know that Judiciary Square was not mentioned in
connection with the expenditure Of the lump sum
OF S3a 900, nor IL ever thought OF by the COM
mittees on appropriation"
THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE CITIZENS
I'D Ike to know" said the Commissioner, "what
we are here for, and why there Is q board of trus-
tees unless tt be that we shall decide what is best
for our schools without being interfered with 1t
really seems that they do IL from pure mischief
aud desire TO throw stones at our heads. 1t Is
what they want II they are dissatisfied with the
work Of the trustees let them complain to US and
then we wiz n have reason for changing the deei
them bring the matters to our attention without
ventilattng them In public meetings before We
have had an opportunity to defend ourselves"
THE ADMISSIONS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
"They say you have abolished examinations for
admission to the High School, and thus the doors
OF the High School have been thrown open to all
comsrs Is there any truth In IT." inquired the
reporter"
siOner. ''let me say this. The first thing did
when entered my office In 1885 was to visit the
High School / went there and found that Mr..
Paul, the principal, had gathered the faculty to-
gether 10 meet me. went upon the platform,
and after listening TO remarks by some OF the gen.
fae on MI sS wap WAS r. then the the
Schools were the apple OF his eyes, and spoke On
that strain for some time. At first was
an unnecessary feature of our public school sys-
tenn That a man could learn to read and write
sa 70 xas
found that our High Schools are the grandest and
greatest feature Of the school system. When a
mon schools he has Just begun to learn and it
seems TO me now that 1t would an act of cruelty
70 shut him out from the means Of securing an
education which will tit him for almost any Sta
tion In HE. In there man learns TO deal with
the practical problems OF life. and what he does
learn Is Of infinite assistance to him in the
with the schools, that It is wrong to re-
S S16es h, can man 70 pass an examination
many cases where young men who had passed the
intermediate grades with little credit to them
selves haye been able by means Of incessant
examining TO pass the examination over the
heads OF others OF the grade whose general aver
age during their whole school life was far better
system which admitted OF such prostitution
was evidently wrong and unjust But so far as
The Commissioners are concerned let me say once
and Tor all that we have nothing TO do with such
matters. They are left entirely with the supertn-
tendents and trustees OF the schools
In speaking OF using the Henry building as an
annex 10 the High schools the Commissioner ST ated
that the matter was never seriously talked or and
that IL was only spoken OF in a general way when
The question as TO what shall be done with the
hundreos or young men who will next year be
ready aud anxious 70 enter the High school, was
discussed.
The Soldier and the Typewriter.
An IOWA NAN WHO NOW THINKS GOVERNMENT En-
rLoYEs DON'T HAVE so GOOD A TINE As RB SUP
POSED THEY HAD.
The soldiers as well as the visitors who are here
attending the drill, generality manage to take in
the sights OF the city, which, OF course include q
Visit 70 the Government Departments. In the pas
sage through the halls and rooms of the public
buildings OF this constant stream Of visitors there
are naturally good many amusing Incidents con-
stansly occurring. The other day q tall man wear
ing uniform was marching through the corridors
the POSf-DfYice Daparfpent poar,pv tn,o .h.